Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe (Year B) | World Youth Day

by Fr Fabian Dicom

So today we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King, the culmination of the liturgical year. Now this Feast invites us to reflect on the kingship of Jesus. A kingship unlike anything the world understands.

The Feast originated in 1925, at the age of dictators. This age of dictators was beginning with Mussolini in Italy, Hitler in Germany. And Pope Pious XI wanted to remind the faithful that in spite of the political leaders who were demanding total allegiance at that time, in spite of the growing secularisation and atheism, our allegiance was to Jesus Christ.

He alone is our Lord. He alone is our King.

And the church decided to celebrate this Feast. Even though our times may be different today, the message of the Feast remains valid for all times. 

As we mark this day, it also coincides with the celebration of World Youth Day. The universal church celebrates World Youth Day. And this year the theme is:
Those who hope in the Lord will walk and not grow weary. (Isaiah 40:31)
That is the Pope’s message.

Let us look at the readings and the message from the Holy Father to kind of give us a foundation or the basis of the homily today.

Now the First Reading from the book of Daniel presents a vision of the Son of man, who receives eternal kingship from God. His sovereignty we hear, everlasting sovereignty, shall not pass away. This prophecy points to Jesus, the King who does not rule by fear or force but by love and truth. 

And in the Second Reading from the book of Apocalypse, Saint John describes Jesus as the firstborn from the dead, the ruler of the kings of the earth. And this is a reminder that Jesus’ kingship transcends all worldly power. Now it is very hard to imagine that but it does. Transcends all worldly power. His reign is one of justice, mercy and peace, a reign that invites us to live with hope amid the uncertainties and challenges of life.

And finally in the Gospel, Jesus stands before Pilate, a Roman Governor, a symbol of worldly power.
And Pilate asks him: Are you the king of the Jews?
Jesus responds: My kingdom does not belong to this world.

This is not a denial of His kingship but a declaration that His rule operates on entirely different values:-
~ Pilate represents power, power based on domination and fear.
~ But Jesus’ kingship is rooted in humility. It is rooted in service. It is rooted in love.
~ His throne is the Cross. His crown is the crown of thorns and His reign is over hearts, not territories.

For young people today, and for all of us, this is a radical and challenging message. The world often glorifies success, popularity and power. But Jesus’ kingship calls us to reject these illusions and live with hope, live with faith and service.

THE YOUTH AND THE JOURNEY OF HOPE.

In the World Youth Day message, Pope Francis speaks directly to the struggles young people face – pressures to succeed, uncertainty about the future, a world marked by social injustices and environmental crisis. He says: Many of you feel tired, burdened by expectations or caught in a cycle of comparison.

This comparison thing is a bit of a curse. We will never be happy if we compare ourselves. And the Pope knows that. Just to quote from his message. He says:
Tiredness (the Pope says) is often accompanied by a certain boredom and indifference and dissatisfaction that affects those who never step out, never choose or decide or take risks, preferring to remain in their comfort zone, closed in on themselves, seeing and judging the world from a distance without ever dirtying their hands, he says. 

Dirtying their hands with problems, with other people, with life itself. This kind of tiredness, (the Pope says), is a kind of wet cement in which we stand. Eventually it hardens, weighs us down, paralyses us and prevents us from moving forward.

And if you have the time, today or these days, read the Pope’s message for the young. It is for all of us. You can just Google it. But the Pope reminds us, the words, the theme of today, of his World Youth Day message:
Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will walk and they won’t be weary. (Isaiah 40:31)

The situation where Isaiah writes heralds the end of Israel’s exile in Babylon and the beginning of a new age of hope and rebirth for God’s people who can return to their homeland. Thanks to this “new” highway that God is presently opening up for His children. You can read this in Isaiah 40.

‘Hope‘ the Pope says is the fuel that helps us walk forward, even when the road is hard. This ‘hope‘ is not wishful thinking but a gift of God, rooted in Jesus’ love and promise of eternal life.

Pope Francis invites the young people to see life as a pilgrimage, not a tourist trip. A pilgrim seeks meaning, listens deeply and walks with purpose. To live as citizens of Jesus’ kingdom is to embrace this hope and let it transform us as we see ourselves, our relationships and our world.

Now what are the lessons from the Readings and the World Youth Day message? I have got three to share with you. You probably can find more.

The first: Hope anchored in faith (Isaiah 40:31). Those who hope in the Lord will walk and not grow weary. The World Youth Day theme, my dear brothers and sisters, reminds us that God strengthens those who trust in Him. The hope gives us courage to face challenges and move forward.

In Malaysia, youth grapple with various challenges – the pressure to succeed academically or professionally, struggles with unemployment, family conflicts, economic hardships and the need to find identity and purpose in a fast changing world. Some wrestle with mental health issues, others feel the weight of discrimination and inequality that still continues in this country. And many wonder if they will ever truly belonged or make a difference.

To the young people, when you feel overwhelmed, turn to God. I know it sounds cliched but really – turn to God in prayer. Turn to God in prayer.

I want to stress the importance of prayer. 

There was a time, many times in my life, when I had my own disillusionment. I had my own struggles with my work, in my ministry, with the church and also with the country. I hoped for a better government, a government that empowered the people. They are still slow on reforms, leaders still grappling for power. Discrimination, inequality, corruption still continues. And in that moment, I was very down and I went for my usual physiotherapy. And my physiotherapist is a Christian from another denomination and we talk about our faith. And she told me: Fabian, pray Jesus into the space.

Now I didn’t understand that. There are terms that certain groups of Christians use and I tried to understand what it was. It is basically to claim Jesus’ presence and power over the space. Often with the intention of bringing healing, peace and protection to the area or the people within it. But nevertheless, I just did that.

I know I am a priest. I pray, I celebrate Mass, I am obliged to pray all the lauds and vespers and other prayers, the Divine Office but to bring Jesus into the space of my life was important. It was a good lesson for me where there is mindfulness of Jesus in our lives.

We need to do that as Christians, as Catholics. It is so important that we see everything in His light. Not that when you pray everything is going to be solved but your perspective changes. I personally felt strengthened, hopeful to move on.

And I want to share that with all of you. Young people, don’t discount prayer and feel comfortable to pray your own way. Prayer is not just praise and worship only. Jesus must be central in our lives. Everything else is not important. And many of you can share the same experience I have had. And that gives me the strength to move on.

If we go through that, besides prayer, seek support from a trusted community and take small steps to make that change. So that is the first.

The second lesson I feel we can draw is from the Gospel itself. To witness to the truth and it is important. Jesus tells Pilate: I came into the world for this. To bear witness to the truth and to all who are on the side of the truth, listen to my voice.

As young people, you are bombarded by conflicting messages about what is true and what matters. All of us are bombarded. We are only too excited to forward messages without even checking whether it is true. We only believe. We need to find out what the truth is and only share the truth.

Christ’s kingship calls you to stand for truth, even when it is unpopular. So my dear young people, speak out against dishonesty, injustice in your schools, in your workplaces and in your communities, even in the parish. Live with integrity, letting your actions reflect God’s truth. You will be happy. You may not be popular. You may suffer but there will be peace here (heart).

And finally, the third lesson I believe is service as leadership. In Chapter 1 in the book of Revelations Verse 5, Jesus is described as the faithful witness and He loves us and has washed away our sin with His blood and made us a line of kings and priests to serve His God and Father.

His kingship is about serving others. It is about serving others. Servant leadership, especially the poor, especially the marginalised. And in Malaysia, we hear this but it is worth repeating. In Malaysia, this means caring for the most marginalised people whom we take for granted, the migrant workers, the refugees, those who feel left behind in society, even in the parish.

So how do we overcome this? How do we respond to this?

Volunteer. Volunteer with the outreach programs, organisations, in the parish – Sharing Hope or Caritas parish, or in the Diocese. The many programs – the medical programs is one of them. Find ways to serve others in your every day life, whether through maybe tutoring a peer, sharing a meal or listening to someone in need.

When I was young growing up in my parish in Ipoh, as a teenager I went for Mass regularly, I was in the choir, choirboy, and my mother made me go for confession every week. Father FA was there in the parish. Hope he can’t remember all that. This was my life.

One day there another priest. When I was a bit older probably in secondary school, I had my usual issues at home, probably some disagreement with my parents or something in school or someone I had a crush on, I don’t know what it was. Anyway I went to this priest to talk and he took me out for Ipoh koay teow by the five-foot way. While we were eating and I was pouring out all my issues, there was this old lady, unkempt, shabbily dressed, came to beg.

I was terribly uncomfortable with that. And the usual thing is to just give her some money or just tell her ‘no’. But this priest stopped talking to me and he looked at her and asked her: Are you hungry?
She said: Yes.
Now you go and sit at the table. What do you want to eat?

He ordered the food and drink for her. He also told the guy that runs the shop: Don’t disturb her until she finishes.

I know that is a very small gesture for many of us. It changed my life. I could not see that. I could not understand why a poor person should be treated like that. And that priest without saying a word, by his example, made this great impact in my life.

And from there on, when I was in my Form 6, I met people in the youth group and you know it was the usual fun thing and everything but these people from the YCW took me to places where I have never seen in Ipoh, not very far from my house, where people were living in abject poverty. No flooring even in their houses, near the tin mines. Basic needs were not there.

That helped me to see faith in a different light. It only takes that for us. And you have had many encounters, young people. You must be daring to come out, to make that change.

I know many of us belong to groups and sometimes coming out and doing something different may be difficult. You have peer group pressure, you have leadership pressure. 

The Spirit cannot be stopped. And this kind of service, this kind of leadership is what the church needs today. Enough of just being in the confines of the parish. 

So, my dear young people, Christ’s kingship is a call to hope, to truth and love. It challenges the illusions of the world and invites you, young people, to live with purpose. In your studies, in your work, in your friendships, in your dreams, let Jesus’ value guide you.

As we celebrate this Feast and prepare for the Jubilee Year of Hope, let us recommit to living as citizens of Christ’s kingdom.

Walk forward in Hope.
Serve others with Joy.
Trust that Jesus, our King, will guide you every step of the way.

Amen.

Click below to listen to homily and watch video:-

Click to live-stream Mass on 24 November 2024